What I’m going to show you about time management is so bold, so revolutionary and absolutely mind boggling, that you’ll find it difficult to believe. Time is the most valuable commodity in the universe, and with this knowledge you will have more time to do those things you value most. This knowledge, when applied consistently, will put the world at your feet.

Time is a continuum, a constantly moving series of events, one right after the other. Time must be captured as it moves along this continuum for it cannot be slowed, stopped or saved. A moment of time not captured in the moment, is a moment lost forever. You can elect to use your time for anything you choose, time doesn’t care. You can use your time to create wealth, health, intellect, relationships, pleasure or nothing at all. The choice is yours; no one else really cares.

Here is the formula, the secret of time followed by all successful people. Having learned the secret, the choice is yours. Apply it to achieve your wildest dreams and ambitions, or just know about it and waste the opportunities of a lifetime. Isn’t it interesting that life is referred to as time! The formula is outlined in the following five (5) steps:

Step 1: Set aside a time and place each day to plan and schedule what you will accomplish that day. The best time and place to plan and schedule your day is a time and place that will not be interrupted by other activities, a time that can be utilized for planning on a consistent basis and a place that is free from distractions. As an example, before you leave the office (regardless of what time that might be each day), when you get up in the morning or before you leave the house, etc. The number one reason people don’t plan is that they don’t have time. If you don’t have time, you can always find it in your alarm clock.

Step 2: Having set aside the time to plan, ponder and list all the activities that need and should be done today. Open your mind and list all that you can imagine. Think of your daily routines, projects, clients, activities, demands, etc. Refer to the prior day and add to the list those activities not previously completed. Consider those things you want to do, those things that must be done, and include those tasks and activities that are part of your long term personal and business goals. Don’t forget to include those things that mean the most to you. If you get trapped into only considering the urgent activities you will never plan those activities necessary to achieve your personal dreams and goals.

Step 3: Once you have made your list for the day, prioritize the list to ensure that the most important activities are accomplished. “Chunk” your activities into groups by assigning them an A, B, C, or D ranking. Then prioritize all of you’re A’s by giving them a numeric ranking 1,2,3,etc. Make your numeric rankings consecutive through the A’s, B’s, C’s, etc. When you are done, you can simply follow the numbers beginning with number 1 through the end of your list and you will have a numeric ranking of importance.

Step 4: Determining what to do and having assigned a priority, the next step is to pre-determine how much time to spend completing each activity. A major cause of wasted time is spending more time on any single activity than is necessary. Completing a task is only half the effort. The other half of the effort is found in completing the task in the minimum amount of time required. If you don’t predetermine how much time an activity will take, it will easily take all the time there is. Go down your list and assign a reasonable amount of time to complete each task. If you don’t know how much time the task will take, guess.

Step 5: The next step is to move each activity into a time slot. The most important task does not need to be completed first, it just needs to be completed. The correct time slot to schedule any task is whatever you believe to be the right time. Once each task has been assigned a time slot, just follow the time and you will be doing what needs to be done. For some people it is easier to create blocks of time. For instance, eight o’clock till ten o’clock is a two-hour block of time. Within that block of time you can schedule several different activities. It may not matter what order they are completed so long as they are finished within the block of time. Firm appointments are always schedule at the agreed upon time. When assigning activities to a block of time, add a little extra time for interruptions and emergencies. As the day progresses you can gain a very clear picture of your accomplishments. There are eighteen thirty-minute time frames between eight o’clock and five o’clock. Your objective should be to fill each thirty-minute block of time with meaningful activities from your list. It isn’t enough to know how you spend your time, but, rather to pro-actively plan and schedule your time to achieve what you want. If you don’t control your time it will control you and time doesn’t care what it does.

When you follow this formula precisely and consistently you will have all the time necessary to achieve all that you desire. The choice is yours and by virtue of your choice you will determine your own success. There are only twenty-four hours in a day and nothing that you or I can do will ever change that. We have, however, an even greater power and that is the power to plan and schedule every minute of every day. Without exception, those sales people who achieve the greatest success in life have discovered, learned, and applied this formula.

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The Business Performance Group is a Salt Lake City based sales training and consulting firm.